Sand auger



Oct. 22, 1957 w, BIGELOW El'AL SAND AUGER Filed Sept. 30, 1955 mmvroxs W/L A lAM 5/654 0W BY EDIVAED 6. KAEEME/EZ Arne/vars 2,810,553 SAND AUGER William Bigelow and Edward C. Kleemeier, Rockwell City, Iowa Application September 30, 1955, Serial No. 537,635 2 Claims. (Cl. 255-69) This invention relates to an improved sand auger for use with a well boring machine.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a generally superior device of this kind which is more etficient and convenient in operation, and which can be made in a rugged and serviceable form at relatively low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated above which has improved means for discharging the contents of the device.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of an auger according to the present invention, the dotted lines showing a hole in which the auger is being rotated and there being also shown in dotted lines a drill stem for rotating the auger;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the anger, as seen from the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the auger as seen from the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated device comprises a vertically elongated, cylindrical bucket, reinforced at its upper end by an external band or collar 12.

Fixedly secured to the collar 12 at diametrically opposite locations to the collar is an arcuately, upwardly bowed bail 14 formed at locations at opposite sides of its midlength point with loops or eyes 16 to which cables or the like can be attached for lifting the device out of the hole H. At the crest or midlength point of the bale 14 there is welded an upwardly projecting, non-circular stub 18 adapted for engagement in a complementary socket on the lower end of a drill stern 20.

At its lower end, the bucket 10 is provided with a bottom or lower end wall 22, of concave-convex formation, having a convex undersurface. Fixedly secured to the center point of and extending downwardly from the lower end wall 22 is a conically shaped pilot stem 24, adapted to assure to the maximum extent straight line augering in the bottom of the hole H.

In the bottom wall is a laterally ofiset segmental discharge opening 26 for discharging the contents of the bucket. The opening 26 is normally closed by a door 28 having a lateral radial arm 29 hinged at its outer free end on a hinge pin 30 secured to the outer side of the bucket side wall above the bottom wall 22. The door is normally closed, but can be swung open after the bucket has been lifted out of the hole, for the purpose of permitting gravitation of the accumulated sand from the bucket. Suitable latch means, of course, may be associated with the door for the purpose of assuring that it will not accidentally open while the bucket is lifted longitudinal edges of the blades being in contact with from the hole H. Alternatively, the door may be of the type that swings in a lateral direction, so that it will normally not be subject to be accidentally opened by the weight of the sand bearing thereagainst.

A pair of spiral flanges 32, 34 is fixedly secured to the outer surface of the bucket side wall, with the inner United States Patent pilot stem 24.

Patented Oct. 22, 1957 said side wall for the full lengths of the side wall. The flanges 32, 34 at their lower ends have radially, inwardly projecting extensions 38 reaching below and fixedly secured to the bottom wall 22 and terminating at the The extensions 38 constitute bits or scoops, and are pitched obliquely to the vertical axis of the bucket, so as to scoop up sand at the bottom of the hole and guide said sand onto the upper surfaces of the spiral flanges 32, 34.

The flanges 32, 34 have upper ends 39 which project above the upper end of the bucket. Recesses 40 in the inner edges of the flanges receive the collar 12. The upper ends 39 of the flanges are oblique to a radius of the bucket as shown in Figure 4, for deflecting the sand radially, inwardly into the bucket. When the bucket is filled it is lifted to the ground surface, and its contents discharged by opening the door 28.

The above described device has particular efliciencyv in boring through sand veins, and has the desirable characteristic that a maximum cross sectional area of the device is available for the accumulation of sand. In other words, the entire interior of the bucket is unobstructed, and can be completely filled with sand, the bucket being of a diameter only slightly less than the diameter of the hole H formed by the auger. Because of this a hole can be swiftly and efficiently drilled in the sand vein, thus producing, in turn, the highly desirable results previously discussed herein.

It is believed. apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sand auger, a vertically elongated bucket having a lower end, a side wall, and an open upper end, a bottom wall closing said lower end, a pair of spiral flanges encircling the bucket and having'inner edges secured to said side wall, said flanges having outer edges, said flanges having upper ends projecting above the upper end of the bucket and extending oblique to the radius of the bucket, cutting blades extending across the lower end of the bucket, and means on the upper end of the bucket for connecting it to a rotary drill stem.

2 In a sand auger, a vertically elongated bucket having a lower end, a side wall, and an open upper end, a bottom wall closing said lower end, a pair of spiral flanges encircling the bucket and having inner edges secured to said side wall, said flanges having outer edges, said flanges having upper ends projecting above the upper end of the bucket and extending oblique to the radius of the bucket, said flanges having lower ends, scoops on the lower ends of the flanges reaching below said bottom wall and projecting laterally inwardly across and secured to said bottom wall, and means on the upper end of the bucket for connecting it to a rotary drill stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 109,214 Ingels Nov. 15, 1870 111,300 Altman Jan. 31, 1871 147,323 Hanson et al. Feb. 10, 1874 183,001 Halliday et a1. Oct. 10, 1876 225,508 Collins Mar. 16, 1880 297,642 Sickler Apr. 29, 1884 

